In some wireless systems, signals from a set of base stations (BS) may not provide coverage everywhere within the geographical area covered by the base stations. As a result, two types of wireless devices may be operating within the service area.
A first type of wireless device is referred to herein as an In-coverage Device (ICD) and such devices are able to communicate directly with the BS using the uplink and downlink radio resources of a cell.
A second type of device is a Not-in-coverage Device (NICD) and such devices are not able to communicate directly with the base station either due to the distance between the NICD and the base station or due to obstacles between the NICD and the base station.
In a network with partial coverage, an NICD cannot communicate directly with the base station but may be able to communicate directly with other NICDs or one or more ICDs. However, such communication is not currently provided for in Technical Specifications covering wireless devices.